Twelve Days Of Christmas
by Midnight Monochrome
Summary: Christmas is celebrated differently for everyone—whether it's with one you just met, or your new fiancé. Day Eight: SasuHina. "Would you like a birthday kiss, Hinata-chan?"
1. Day One

20/12/2008 12:33:00

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the cheesy, over-used Christmas song.

_**(Twelve Days of Christmas)**_

_**(Day One: NaruHina)**_

_On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a partridge in a pear tree…_

A certain black haired girl walked along the snowy streets of Konoha, her cheeks rosy from the frosty weather. She had on brown legging under a white skirt. She had on brown boots and thick white sweater and navy scarf on.

_Five days before Christmas…_ she thought, taking a look at the large and beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the main park. It was glowing with a large amount of differently colored lights, and colorful generic Christmas ornaments.

Everybody was rushing along the streets, trying to get last-minute Christmas shopping in, making sure they had gotten all the best deals and all the best things for their family's and children.

But that didn't matter to this girl. Her family had such a _big _stick stuck up their asses they didn't even give each other gifts. The only people who gave gifts in the family was her sister and her cousin. But both were currently no where near the pale beauty. Most likely, they were with their boy/girlfriend, celebrating the close-coming holidays.

The girl walked along a little more and came to a sign for a ramen stand named '_Ichiraku Ramen_.' It looked warm and inviting, so she stepped into the stand, and found the smells very delightful.

She sat down a few seats away from the only other customer—a blonde, spiky-haired boy gulping down the last remnants of his ramen.

"What would you like, miss?" asked the owner of the shop, a gruff, old man, but with a soft, friendly smile on his face.

"A chicken miso ramen, please," she asked, looking over their menu quickly. The owner nodded and marched back into the kitchen to make her meal.

The blonde boy had noticed her, but she had not noticed that he had moved into the seat next to her. So, when he said 'hello' she all but freaked out.

"Oh, uh, I'm really sorry!" he said as her heart began to slow down to a normal beat again.

"It's no problem," she assured him, and he found himself infatuated with the light, quiet voice, "I've always been a bit easy to scare. Easy childhood, rough teenagerdom, you know? Never helps out a girls' a heart." She laughed a bit this time, just a soft twinkle, but to the boy, it sounded like beautiful tealing bells.

"No, it really doesn't," he mumbled.

Just then, the owner came out with the girl's ramen, hot and steaming. She nodded and thanked him, putting a 10 dollar bill on the table.

"You have about seven dollars change," the owner said.

The girl shook her head. "Nonsense, it's Christmas. Keep the change. Think of it as a payment for the ramen _and_ an early Christmas present." She smiled at the owner, and it made the boy's heart flutter.

The girl began to nibble on her ramen, and the boy asked her another question.

"So, what's your family like? How do you celebrate Christmas?" The girl's lavender eyes suddenly became sort of gray—sad.

"We don't," she answered, taking another quiet slurp. "My family's very stuck up—they think their all high and mighty and all. They don't even give or accept gifts. The only Christmas tree I've ever seen is the one in the main park."

He just gaped at her.

"You—You're kidding, right?" She sadly shook her head.

"Why don't I show you the tree at my place? My place is pretty crappy, and the tree probably is too, but hey, now you can tell everyone you know you saw a real tree—not just the one in the park." The girl smiled.

"I'd like that," she replied. Her lavender eyes twinkled and the boy swore he felt his heart stop.

They walked a short road, just about a block or two away, to his house in a quiet, comfortable silence. She sort of blushed whenever they touched, even those small, quick brushes of the shoulder made her face heat up.

He got out a key and opened up the door to the small apartment, letting her in first, as only a gentleman would. "Here it is," he said. "It isn't big and nice, but it's homey and warm." She nodded and agreed with him.

"It's nice," she said, looking around even though her eyes locked on the small, festive fir tree in the living room. "A lot more inviting than my house; this place has soft carpet, but mine just has cold marble floors."

She walked over to the tree and felt it. It felt hard and spiky, but they brought a new feeling to this girl, a feeling that could not be replaced. The feeling of friendship.

The girl glanced at her watch and gasped. "Oh, no," she cried. "I need to be home by six, and it's five forty-five!"

"I'll walk you home," the boy insisted. "It's not safe to let a pretty girl walk home by herself when it's almost dark outside. Come on." She nodded and smiled, taking his hand and walked home with him.

"So," she asked, in front of her porch step. "What's you're name?" she asked for the first time.

"Naruto," he replied. The girl smiled.

"Well, _Naruto_, can I expect to meet you at Ichiraku's tomorrow at noon?" He nodded, a genuine smile on his face, as he began to walk away.

"Wait!" he called as she was about to disappear into the house. "What's your name?!" She smiled and called out, "Hinata!"

"Hinata," he murmured to himself, as a reminder. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hinata!" Hinata smiled and disappeared into the house.

_Man,_ he thought to himself,_ what's Sasuke gonna think when I tell him I'm whipped on a girl whose name I just figured out?_


	2. Day Two

(A/N: I would really appreciate it if you guys, you know, _reviewed._ Thanks.)

_**(Twelve Days of Christmas)**_

_**(Day Two: SasuSaku)**_

_On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me: two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree…_

Sakura shivered momentarily and hugged herself tight. _It's way too damn cold to be real…_

She hated the cold. She thought the cold could go die in a hole, slowly and painfully. Why she was even still here, outside in the freezing cold weather, near a freezing lake, she didn't understand.

Oh yea, her dad and his drunk friends were over. And if she went home, she was bound to get raped. Just like last time. But no, she couldn't rat her father, or else she would have nowhere to live.

Sakura sighed sadly and plopped down on the frosting grass. She had left her gloves at her house, up in her bedroom on the second story.

She just sat in the grass, her eyes closed. She began to drift off into a dream; the dream was about a better life. One where her stupid dad hadn't cut off her nice, pretty, long, pink hair to her shoulders. One where she knew who her mom was. One where she hadn't been raped by her fathers drunk friends. One where she actually got Christmas presents—scratch that, _celebrated_ Christmas.

"Hey, you're on private property."

Sakura jumped at the sound of the voice behind her. There was a boy standing behind her, his hands in his pockets. He had short, black hair styled into the style of a duck butt, and dark, obsidian eyes.

"Really?" Sakura asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, pal, I just need to wait until my dad and his friends either one: pass out; or two: sober up. And I'm going on number one." She laid back down on the grass, her head resting on her intertwined hands. "Drunk dad?" the boy asked, sitting down next to her.

"Yep," Sakura nodded. "Dad knocked up Mom, Mom had me and got the hell out of here, Dad gets drunk with friends, friends are stupid; lesson to learn: stay out of the house until five."

He nodded. "Alright. You can stay here, you know. From now on. I won't mind. Nobody else from my family comes here anyway." She opened her eyes, revealing shimmering jade irises and smiled.

"Thanks…?"  
"Sasuke," he said, answering the end of her 'thanks.' "Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sakura," she said, holding her hand and mimicking his 'James Bond' sort of name giving fashion. "Sakura Haruno." He took her hand and shook it, the friction making their hands warm.

"Hey," Sasuke said, "don't you go to Konoha High? 4B; junior?" She nodded, smiling brightly.

"Yep! I'm assuming you're the smart, emo kid that sits in the back all day listening to the annoying blonde kid chatter on and on?" His gaze narrowed.

"I'm not emo, damn it." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Sure you aren't, emo boy."

"This _is_ my property, you know. I can kick you off."

"But you won't." She smiled brightly, practically grinning. He smirked a little.

"Yea, you're right, I probably won't."

Secretly, Sakura thought this guy was alright. Sure, he _was_ a bit of an ass—_but a _funny_ ass,_ she chided herself—but he gave her a permanent place to stay until five. She liked him already.

"Thanks, you know." Sakura told him, sitting up and leaning on the trunk of a tree. "And that's not a phrase I say often." It was true—Sakura only had one actual friend, Ino Yamanaka. Ino was a sort of stereotypical blonde, but she could kick butt.

Sasuke smirked, which made Sakura's heart stutter a beat. "Bet you don't."

They were enveloped in a blatant silence for a few minutes.

"Umm," Sakura mumbled, breaking the tense air, "did you get the Calculus homework?" He nodded. "Need help?" he asked.

"Please," she replied, putting her backpack in her lap and taking her Calculus book with the homework sheet stuffed inside.

They spent the next hour working on Sakura's homework, which she understood none.

"Do you get it now?" Sasuke asked for about the third time. Sakura bit her lip, contemplating for a moment. She nodded. "Sort of, I guess," she mumbled. By now, Sasuke had needed to get so close that he was seated behind her, to the point where Sakura was almost sitting on his lap.

For some reason, though, Sasuke didn't mind. Usually, girls threw themselves at him, but she, she didn't try to flirt; she was just herself. She wasn't overly annoying, or had an overly high, squeaky voice. She was just a simple girl with problems, like any other ordinary person.

Too bad any other ordinary person didn't have Sasuke Uchiha in love with them.

In truth, Sakura was _way_ too stubborn to admit she felt the same way. As she studied with Sasuke, she felt like they fit together like two puzzle pieces. He made her feel warmth on this frosty day, while with other's she felt cold.

_No,_ she assured herself. _There is no way I'm in love with Sasuke; we just met, for God's sake!_

Too bad Sakura was just too stubborn to see the truth.

As they finally finished her homework, they didn't move from their position. They just sort of sat there, enjoying the bliss of it all. They stared at the departing sun, the sky set into a blazing horizon of different colors, such as orange, lavender, violet, red and blue.

The stood up and brushed off their clothes, both slightly shivering at the loss of the warmth. Sakura grabbed her backpack and slung it on her shoulder.

"So…," Sakura said awkwardly. "I'll see you tomorrow? I'll bring checkers." He smiled slightly—quite a sight to be seen—and nodded.

"I hope you know I _will_ kick your ass at checkers," he smirked.

Sakura laughed. "Bring it, emo boy!"

"God dammit, I'm _not_ emo!" She just laughed and walked off, waving to him.

It took Sakura until next Christmas to kiss him.


	3. Day Three

(A/N: Thanks to my _only_ reviewer so far, Blizzard of love. I apologize for no update yesterday—lots of things going on, like getting ready for Christmas and such.)

_**(Twelve Days of Christmas)**_

_**(Day Three: NejiTen)**_

_On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree._

It was a _loooong_ day for TenTen. She had to work in her adoptive grandmother's weapon shop (not that she minded, of course—she loved sharp things) for eight hours a day because her grandmother was on vacation. And then there was the fact that nobody else lived in her family, and she was still a few years away from being eighteen. And also that fact that—he-_llo!_ Who goes to a weapon shop for Christmas presents?! TenTen loved her grandmother, but she thought that sometimes, she could get just a _little_ bit senile at times.

TenTen had nothing to do, as well. She had spent the first three days working on her homework for Christmas break while she waited for business. That was done. She had called everybody she knew—all busy doing Christmas-ey things with their family. Damn. Listened to music until all her iPod's ran out of battery. Oh, well. Watched T.V. until—well, they really didn't have a T.V. in the shop, so that was a bust. Sigh. Read all the books until there were none. Damn it to hell. Now, currently, she was continuously throwing a kunai at a bullseye on the wall. It had a string attached, so she just pulled for the kunai to come back.

_Man,_ she thought_, this bites._

Then the door opened and the little bell attached to the door to signal a customer rung.

TenTen immediately straightened up, but then she saw the customer and slouched in her seat again. But then she wondered 'what the hell' and looked at him.

"Neji Hyuuga," she said out loud in a mystifying voice, her chocolate eyes filled to the brim with a muddled look. "What in the hell are you doing _here_ of all places?"

Indeed, it was Neji, his long, coffee arranged into a low band at the middle of his back. His grey eyes seemed amused, entertained for lack of a better word. TenTen couldn't figure out why his eyes held such deeply unfathomable emotions, but she would be damned if she didn't find out.

"It's my turn to buy all the new weapons for the family this year," he replied.

TenTen's befuddled look immediately dispersed, as she then understood. Every year, around Christmas time, the shop would make a lot of money, because…oh, yea! Because every year the Hyuuga's had one person come out and buy a whole crapload of weapons as a gift to the 'all-time kendo champion' family.

"Oh, right, that thing," TenTen said, scrunching up her nose. Why did, of all the —what—fifty people in the Hyuuga, did _he_ have to be chosen to go the _exact_ same year her grandmother finally saved up enough money to go on a long deserved vacation, leaving _her_ to watch the shop where only _one_ person comes and buys things. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

"Well, look around, whatever, do as you would in a normal shop, except I don't recommend touching the sharp parts of the blade," she said sarcastically, leaning back in her chair and putting her black boot ridden feet on the end of the desk and returning to throwing a kunai at the bullseye. For a moment, she considered throwing the kunai at Neji's head, but then she realized that would ultimately kill off business, and she wouldn't do that to her loving grandmother. So there she sat, throwing kunai, bored out of her mind while her arch enemy looked at the stock.

"You _do_ realize that you've hit the exact same bullseye fifteen times in a row, right?" Neji's voice piercing through the quiet almost made TenTen jump in fright, but then she remembered a thing called 'dignity,' and that she wanted to maintain it.

"Yea," she responded. "_So?_" TenTen rolled her eyes, continuing to throw the sharp projectile. Neji walked up to the counter, ducking slightly so he wouldn't get hit.

"Well, I've never seen anyone with such good aim," he admitted, not a bit sheepish. "Do you practice?" She scoffed, throwing the kunai at bullseye again, a resounding _thud_ echoing through the small shop.

"I've always had this good of an aim. How do you think I hit you in the back of the head with a pencil in fourth grade?" She laughed, pulling back the kunai again. Neji blinked, his brow furrowing.

"That was _you_?" Neji asked, his voice cold and hard. TenTen stopped for a second, her eyes flashing to his, which now look like slightly scuffed ice.

"Uhh, no! Of course not!" TenTen stuttered, throwing the kunai and landing a bullseye, even though she wasn't even looking. "What gave you that idea?"

He smirked, and suddenly, TenTen wanted to kiss him. Like _seriously_ kiss him. _What am I thinking?_ She couldn't help herself to think that—he was being overly seductive, as if he _wanted_ her to kiss him_. No, I am _so_ not giving in._

"Hey, can I look at the new stock in the back?" he asked abruptly, his mood changing entirely from cold to relaxed. _Talk about bipolar,_ TenTen muttered in her mind.

"Let me check," she said. "Nana kept a list about who I'm able to bring. I'm pretty positive you and your family are on it, but I have to check; Nana's policy." She scrolled through the list of applications on her dock until she found '_Sticky Notes_.' She opened it up and immediately a number of yellow text boxes appeared on the screen. TenTen quickly scrolled though them all before she found the one with big, capital letters on the top.

_'BACKROOM STOCK LIST.'  
Mr. Gerandy. (Jeff)  
Mrs. Carmanati. (Suki)  
Hyuuga's. (Any)_

"Yea," TenTen said. "You're allowed. Come on, I have to open the door for you." She grabbed a set of keys of the counter and showed him to the door of the stock room. She entered a key into the lock and turned it, the door opening automatically.

"My pride and joy," TenTen sighed blissfully. The small room was filled with shelves of weapons, both handmade and manufactured. In the corner sat welding tools, along with all the appropriate tools needed to make metal and other things.

"Some of these things I've never seen in magazines," Neji said, taking a look at all of the stock on the shelves.

"That's because they're handmade," TenTen said, picking up a katana from the shelf, sliding it out of the sheath, making a sort of zipping sound. "See this? I made it. Two feet of sharp, stainless steel, but only weighs three pounds in all. The sheath is made of dyed shark skin, as is the grip handle. Six hundred dollars, if it were for sale, which it's not."

Neji's eyebrow rose. "Why?"

She scoffed, shoving the katana back into it's sheath. "Wow. You _are_ a dumbass, aren't you. It's a homemade katana—my _first_ successful creation. Plus I was planning to give it to my boyfriend." Neji began smirking, grabbing her waist and kissing her full on.

"You lose," he said. She laughed and kissed him chastely. "It was worth it," she admitted. "It was worth it."

"Do I seriously get the katana for Christmas?"

"Yep. Merry Christmas."

"Damn, I love you and your sword-making abilities."

"I love you, too, honey."

TenTen and Neji always loved reenacting their get-together on their anniversary. Too bad neither of them could keep their hands off each other to finish.


	4. Day Four

(A/N: I rather had fun writing the last chapter and this one—I was able to relate to Temari in this one. Please review—I feel like I'm being a suckish writer. Be warned—the f-bomb is used once—unedited.)

_**(Twelve Days of Christmas)**_

_**(Day Four: ShikaTema)**_

_On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree._

Temari huffed and fanned herself through the hot, desert weather. She was frustrated for many reasons, all of them syncing with the blistering heat. One: her hair was starting to frizz up. Why? It was hot. Two: she was sweating—or perspiring, as her mother said. Three: the grass, which she was laying on, was dead and scratchy. Why? It was _hot_. It was supposed to snow during winter, right? It was supposed to get cold and make people wear jackets. As if. Suna was probably the hottest place in the entire continent. While everybody else was having fun playing in the frosty weather and making snowballs and such, Temari—and every other resident of Suna, but they don't matter much—was forced to endure 85˚ weather.

_This fucking sucks. _

She didn't deserve this kind of…torture. Her mother was already giving her all this 'proper lady' crap, and Temari already couldn't endure this sweltering weather in shorts and a tank top—none the less a ball gown. But no, she _had_ to attend the annual Winter Ball because if she didn't, she wasn't going to fulfill her duties as future Kazakage.

Temari had other plans for that, though. As soon as it was announced to her, she planned to give the title to her little brother, Gaara. He didn't exactly strive toward that goal in specific, but Temari thought he deserved it. He would definitely be more responsible and trustworthy than her, even if she was the eldest.

Temari wasn't a person to sit behind a desk all day signing papers. She wasn't a person to take crap from anybody. She wasn't a person to be stuck in a stuffy, Wind country city forever. She knew that once she was old enough to move out, had enough money to move out, she would definitely. But, despite her plans since tween-hood, she had one flaw in her plan:

Where would she go?

It wasn't a very complex question, but a perplexing one nonetheless. _Perhaps I'll go everywhere_, she once said. _No, I don't have enough money._ And so that plan died and had a sad funeral. _Maybe I'll stay with Matsuri…No. She's coming back to marry Gaara._ Temari cried a river, built a bridge and got over it for that plan. There was no plan, unfortunately. She couldn't just go to a random town and live there when she didn't know anybody. Even for how confident and free-spirited Temari was, she had to know someone wherever she went.

But she sure as hell wasn't going anywhere these stupid stuck-up people at the ball are.

The Winter Ball was basically a ball where all the rich people (and their kids) on the continent came and danced and feasted and got drunk. They announced all the things that were happening, country by country. She especially hated it because they trapped everyone in the same age group in one room. They were supposedly supposed to 'connect' with each other, even though the only people who really danced were those already dating or engaged to one another. Temari never danced at these stupid things; she sat against the wall, watching everyone else with bored eyes. Her mother called her a wallflower, but why did she care? It was her life, and it wasn't like the Kazekage was required to know how to dance, after all.

"Temari!" her mother shouted from the window of the second story. "Get inside now! We have to start getting ready for the Winter Ball!" Temari rolled her eyes and glared at her mother, knowing that she couldn't see it. "Yea, yea," she mumbled, getting up from the uncomfortable grass. She didn't care. She would take all the scratchy grass in the world to trade for her shrill mother.

—xXx—

Temari just had the day from hell. Being fawned over by elite designers, strung into a tight corset, had people mess with her hair—no, just touch her scalp in general, have a crap-load of gunk put on her face, and forced to act like a 'proper lady' for the duration of the ball was not Temari's idea of fun.

She had been forced into a black kimono, which she actually was sort of okay with. If it was a bit looser and freer, she might wear it often. But no, it had to be tight, lacy, and constricting. The corset just made the dress even more incommodious, adding and extra layer to her bust, pushing up her boobs slightly. (Temari's hair had been, thankfully, put up into her signature four ponytails, and she was slightly thankful towards her mother for allowing her that freedom.)

_Jeez,_ Temari thought. _It's like Mom _wants_ me to look like a slut._

Temari had arrived at the ball, and then automatically pushed into the teen room, with the door shut tightly behind her. She tried the knob to see if it worked. It didn't. _Wow. They actually lock us in here._ She walked over to dark, secluded part of the room, away from all the happy couples dancing in the middle of the elegance, and slid down the wall, sitting down on the floor.

"This bites," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Tell me about it," said another voice, emerging from the shadows.

"Holy shit!" Temari gasped, clutching at her thrumming heart. "You scared the hell outta me!"

"Sorry," mumbled the guy, rubbing the back of his pale neck. He had black hair tied up into a spiky ponytail at the top of his head, making his head slightly resemble a pineapple. His eyes were a deep amber, on the bridge between chocolate and coffee.

"S'okay," Temari said. "Just warn me before you do that. I've been known to attack then think." She chuckled then and grinned, sticking out her hand. "Name's Temari, by the way. Temari Sabaku."

The man shook it lazily. "Shikamaru Nara." They let go and just sat there for a moment.

"Were you forced to come here, too?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes closed. Temari nodded, even though he couldn't see it.

"Yep," she said, popping the 'P.' "I've been forced to come here every year since I was five. My parents are announcing I'm the new Kazekage this year. But you know what? I'm giving it to my brother. He's more responsible than me—the day after I reign the title the economy of Suna would be in a recession." She laughed again, though louder this time. "You know," she said. "I don't think I've ever been to one of these things where there was somebody who didn't wanna be here. And I've never seen you here."

"I've gotten out of it. Faked sick, you know. Bribed my doctor's. We got a new one this year, though, damn it. Won't take bribes." Shikamaru pouted slightly, his eyes opening a tiny bit. _Aww_, Temari thought. _Give him some antlers and he would make a cute deer._

"I don't try that. My mom's too smart—would punish me well. And she already punishes me enough with this 'proper lady' crap she's trying to feed me. It's stupid. I just wanna be free, ya know? Not have to deal with anybody, just able to live my life. When I'm old enough, I'm planning on leaving Suna. I mean seriously—who wants to live in a place where it's 85˚ at Christmas? But anyway, I don't know where to go. I have to go somewhere where I know someone. And my only friend is moving back to Suna so she can marry my brother. So, I currently have _no_ idea what I'm going to do." Temari big breathed in a big breath and looked at her feet, which she had snuck some Converse on. Why had she just told him all that again? She wasn't exactly sure.

"You could come to Konoha." Shikamaru's sudden outburst shocked Temari greatly. "It's nice—very snowy," he continued, "neutral temperature's most of the time. Your Christmas temperature is our spring temperature. My favorite part is all the grass to lay on to watch the clouds."

Temari looked at her feet again, and then smiled. "I'd love to," she replied.

He smirked and kissed her. Temari's eyes were wide. "Cool," he said. "Let's dance." He got up and held his hand out for hers, to help her up. She just stared at it, and then took it.

"You conniving bastard."

"Damn straight."


	5. Day Five

(A/N: Thanks to all of you that reviewed! I _really_ appreciate it! It makes me feel loved. I'm really sorry for the lateness—I've been pre-occupied switching all my files from my laptop to my new desktop. Oh, and merry Christmas, Jenni-neechan! Hope you like your present! ;D)

_**(Twelve Days of Christmas)**_

_**(Day Five: ItaSaku)**_

_On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree._

"Itachi-kun! Where are you taking me?" twenty year-old Sakura giggled, as she was led, blind-folded, by her now three year boyfriend, Itachi. He had to admit that he regretted covering up the beautiful, sparkling jade irises of hers, but he knew that in the end it would all be worth it.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it?" his husky voice mused, a low, soft chuckle rumbling in his chest. His lips formed a small smirk that was always ever-present on his pale face.

"I guess," Sakura sighed, a pout forming on her pink lips, one of the cutest things Itachi loves to look at. Again, he felt a small pang of remorse for not being able to see her emerald orbs sparkle playfully.

"Okay," Itachi said, letting go of her hand and walking behind her to untie the blindfold. "What do you think?" he asked, letting the scarf fall and wrapping his arms around Sakura's petite waist, resting his head on her shoulder lightly, wisps of her short pink hair gently brushing his face. Her eyes widened at the beautiful site.

They were in a meadow, one where the soft, white blanket of snow softly coated the ground, and there was just enough room for the fleece blanket spread out on the white fluff. There was a wicker picnic basket in the middle of the blanket, and two lit candles, their bright orange flames illuminating the display romantically.

"Oh, Itachi," Sakura said, putting her hand over her mouth delicately. "It's beautiful. Oh, God, I love you. This is so romantic." She craned her head behind her to kiss him gently but passionately on the lips.

"Well, why don't you sit down, love?" Itachi asked, using his most gentlemanly manner, splaying his hand toward the elaborate design. Sakura giggled and nodded, sitting down on one side of the plaid blanket.

"Thank you, Itachi," Sakura said, her eyes looking up at him. "This is so romantic…I love it." She smiled a small smile, but one that made even Itachi's seemingly stoic heart stutter.

_Damn the stupid Ouran looking up from down technique,_ Itachi thought, knowing he was fazed by her look.

In his defense, though, anybody would be fazed by it. She had this look—a cross between peaceful and jubilant. Her jade eyes twinkled as they glimmered in the small rays of sunshine.

"Eat, love," Itachi commanded, handing her a rice ball. She took it and softly nibbled on it, moaning.

"It's absolutely delicious!" Sakura exclaimed, this time taking a large bite, a smile on her face as she munched happily. She looked like a little chibi cat, in Itachi's opinion. _Hmm…she would look very sexy with ears and a tail… _

They ate in a rather blissful state, sometimes they would feed each other, once, it got very…hot in the cold, winter snow.

Itachi fed Sakura a riceball, but after she had eaten it, she wouldn't let go of his fingers. "Sakura-hime, love," Itachi chuckled, but then his expression became serious. He felt sucking at his fingers. Sakura was looking at him intensely, sucking on his index finger seductively. He considered doing something very ungentlemanly to her right then and there, but then shook the thought out of his head.

_No! _Itachi thought. _That would ruin everything! I cannot let my hard work go to waste!_

He pulled his finger out of her mouth and rested it on her cheek. He chuckled softly and sighed. "Oh, I do believe you will be the death of me." She pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, muttering, "Man, can't I ever get a break? Stupid damn morals…"

Itachi sighed again and stood up, holding his hand out for the pinkette. "I have something else I want to show you," he told her, pulling her up to his feet. "And don't mind the remains of the picnic—think of it as a Christmas present to the little bunny rabbits." He smiled at her, that dazzling smile that made her weak at the knees.

"Aww," she cooed, wrapping her arms around Itachi's waist. "What a sweet and caring boyfriend I have." She sighed dreamily, inhaling his euphoric scent, one that could not be replicated into any fragrance on Earth.

He smiled at her even more, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leaning in to kiss her temple. _Excellent_.

He led her to an area that seemed completely unmarred by snow. The luscious, green grass was still visible, as if there was a circlet of complete solitude. Cherry blossoms (as well as actual cherry's) littered the ground in a careful pattern.

"How in the…," Sakura wondered, staring aghast at the sight in front of her. It was even more beautiful than the elaborate picnic he had set up. Itachi pointed upward, toward the canopy of leafless trees, which held a beautiful pastel pink tarp, holding up al the snow that would otherwise have softly fallen on the ground.

"Oh, oh, oh… I…. Oh, honey—oh, sweetie…"

Itachi smiled; Sakura was at a complete loss for words, which was exactly what he wanted to happen. Now there was just one final step. He leaned down on one knee and took a velvet box out of his hand. Sakura stared at him, her wide eyes widening een more, if that was possible.

He opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring; the golden band intertwined with the smaller, outer diamonds, progressively growing larger. But in the middle, was a large ruby, with a carved cherry engraved in the middle of it.

"Sakura, I brought you here to show you that no matter what, I will always be there to hold you up. To keep all the snow, all the rain away. To make sure that the grass is always green on your side; to make sure that sunshine always prevailed wherever you are. You are my personal sun, Sakura-hime, and I couldn't live without you.

"I feel a magnetic pull with you near me—I can't be too far apart, or else it hurts. Sakura, you have no idea how much I love you, how much I adore you. The truth is, it's almost to much to bear. But that just means that we're meant to be.

"I love everything about you; I love your skin, your hair, you lips, your eyes—oh, God, your eyes—I love your smell, as if it is the most beautiful thing in the world." He hesitated for a moment before smiling and looking into her emerald eyes, which were, by now, brimming with tears. He hope they were of happiness.

"Sakura Haruno," he said, "will you marry me?"

She pounced on him, kissing him with the most exertion she had ever given into anything.

"I'll take that as a yes."


	6. Day Six

(A/N: Again, I am sorry for the utterly late update for all these. I had lots of things I had to do. And if there are typo's, just bear with me; I'm still adjusting to my new keyboard. And a warning, the f-bomb is again used unedited.)

_**(Twelve Days of Christmas)**_

_**(Day Six: SuiKarin)**_

_On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: six Swans-a-swimming, five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree. _

Karin sat up against the dirty wall of the alley, crying. Her crimson hair was mussed, frizzy and wet now, due to the pouring sheets of rain outside. (It occurred odd to her that it was pouring rain the day after Christmas.) Her jeans and jacket were soaked as well, and the damp brick wall and cement floor weren't helping any.

She had just gotten thrown out of her house. Why? She wasn't sure; she didn't think she did anything wrong. All she did was come back home with a present—bought from money earned at her hard-earned job—as a belated Christmas gift, and then her dad started screaming at her. He shouted just about every infidelity you could call a woman, as well as some that she thought were unheard of.

Karin assumed it was all the Christmas alcohol her father had been drinking. Him and his buddies always got together for big holidays. They had drank countess bottles of beer, vodka, rum, and just about every drug you could use to get high.

Why did this always happen to her, she wondered. Why did her father always get mad at her for the kindest gesture? But it didn't—couldn't matter. It happened so often. So why did she still cry? Why did she still sob in the same alley behind her apartments? Why did she cry herself to sleep by the same, dirty, smelly, dumpster? She couldn't answer the questions, because she didn't know the answer to them herself.

"Hey, slut, you on duty? 'Cause I know a guy who could reaaaaaaaally use a—"

"Shut the fuck up!" Karin fumed, lifting her head from her knees to glare at the opposing man standing in front of her. "I'm not a fucking hooker, you idiot! And if your friend really needs that much of a release then go screw him yourself! It's guys like you that are killing everything us women have ever dreamed for." She went back to a solemn expression, resting her hands on her knees.

"I'm sitting in a fucking alley, crying my eyes out in this freezing rain, and all you fucking think about is if I'm a damn prostitute or not? You know what? Fuck you." She glared at him again before resting her head on her knees.

"Well, your not exactly helping with the statement that you aren't a hooker by saying 'fuck you.' That just adds on to the statement even more. But anyway, sorry about the mix-up. It's just that there aren't a lot of people out here at night, so, you know…" He scratched behind his head sheepishly, grinning. Karin looked up at him and could make out lines of sharp, white teeth and silvery hair. But the kind of really light blond hair, to the point if where it was almost silver.

"I'm Suigetsu, by the way," he said, holding out his hand. Karin stared at it scrutinizingely for a moment, as if it was made of lava, before taking it and gingerly shaking his hand.

"I'm Karin," she said, letting go of his hand to lean against the wall.

"So…," Suigetsu said awkwardly. "Why is a pretty girl like you out in an alley the night after Christmas?" She blushed a bit at the very mention of the word 'pretty' as she had just been told otherwise by her father very recently. _At least he didn't try to use a cheesy pick-up line_, she thought 'enthusiastically.'

"I came home with a late Christmas present, my dad—who had been drinking in celebration of the holidays—freaked out for no apparent reason. Kicked me out, but I know I'll be back in by at least dinner tomorrow. I usually just stay in this alley until sunset the next day."

She was speaking truthfully—that was always her routine whenever she got kicked out. Sometimes, if she was left with money, she would go to a café for a bite to eat, but usually she didn't, because she didn't think to bring any.

"Damn," he said, surprised. "Your dad must be a bitch." She nodded.

"A PMS-ing bitch." She pushed her thick-rimmed glasses closer to her face, shivering a bit from the extremely cold weather.

"You cold?" He held his arms open, as if offering her to sit in front of him for warmth. She stared at him like he was a monkey wearing a tutu, lipsick and a tiara, parading through the streets of the streets of New York. "Come on," he said, "I won't bite."

Reluctantly, she climbed into his arms, and immediately found herself glad she did. He was so warm, and she seemed to feel so secure in his arms, like nothing could ever hurt her, like she was completely at ease and safe.

She woke up the next morning, finding herself snuggled into the arms of a warm figure. She looked up, her vision slightly blurred from sleep, she looked up at Suigetsu, and saw the smudges of her lipstick on his lips.

"Oh, you're kidding me."


	7. Day Seven

(A/N: Sorry, but the this and the two that are late plus day nine will be posted today. I still needed another chapter of '_Nightfall Academy_' up. This chapter also sorta corresponds with the ShikaTema one. And I had a little lyric miscalculation last chapter. Sorry about that.)

_**(Twelve Days of Christmas)**_

_**(Day Seven: GaaMats)**_

_On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree._

Matsuri could barely stand it. She could barely stand the long, vexatious wait for the plane to land. Why did they always have to take so long to land itself, and then take what seemed like ten minutes just circling around in the plane lot? And then it took another five minutes to get the gate opened so they could actually get off the plane.

Matsuri huffed and pouted.

The plane was very crowded. It was three days after Christmas, and so everyone was piling out of their vacation spots back home. Unluckily for Matsuri though, it seemed everybody wanted to go to Kiri for the holidays, which was where she had been living at the time for a job. So now she was sitting by a fat married couple that were fighting.

"I told you I wanted ranch with the pizza!" the husband hissed, taking a big bite of some greasy pizza, sloppily chewing makes sounds that made Matsuri want to puke.

"Well, I don't like the ranch! I like the mozzarella cheese better, and they would only let us get one!" the wife barraged back at him, currently pouring said cheese over her pizza.

Matsuri rubbed her forehead in aggravation, staring out the window at the fast approaching land of Konoha airport. At this sight, her perturbed mood turned bright and sunny, as she waited happily for the flight attendant to let her use her cell phone.

Masturi _seriously_ needed to talk to Gaara, her fiancé. They had been apart for so long, it was almost killing her. She loved her fiancée. She loved his red hair, his sky blue eyes, his forehead tattoo of the 'love' kanji; she loved his silent but loving attitude. To put it simply: she loved him. And that was what they were supposed to feel.

"You may now turn on any cell phones," the flight attendant announced through the intercom as the planes landing wheels hit the concrete abruptly.

Matsuri squealed—the arguing married couple looked at her oddly—and took out her cell phone, putting it on speed dial #2, it dialing immediately.

"Hello?" a very familiar, comforting voice greeted Matsuri and she sighed in relief.

"Gaara-kun! It's me, Matsuri! I'm in the plane now; they've landed."

"Good. I can't wait to see you. You know it kills me." A smile crossed Matsuri's face.

"I can't stand it either. You know I love you."

"I love you, too. Hey, is your plane that blue one?" Matsuri's brow creased inwards as she answered.

"Uh, yea…. Why?"

"Look out your window."

As Matsuri looked out her window, a giant grin replaced the confusion on her face. She could see Gaara and his siblings from a window. Gaara was smiling slightly, his arm up to his ear, holding his phone. Gaara's older brother, Kankuro, was grinning and waving his arm at her erratically. And their sister, Temari—also Matsuri's best friend—was grinning at her, and a guy with a pineapple head holding her waist. (Matsuri noted that she would ask Temari about this later.)

"Oh my gosh! I'll meet you when I get off!" Matsuri shouted excitedly, waving at them frantically, a huge smile on her face and her brown eyes twinkling. Her engagement ring sparkled in the bright sunlight outside the plane, catching rainbows every other where in the plane, catching the attention of some flyers.

"Okay, I love you," Gaara said, and Matsuri could see his mouth move in correspondence to the phone.

"I love you, too," Matsuri said, hanging up and started to gather up all of her carry-on items from the seat in front of her until she noticed the married couple staring at her.

"What?" she asked them, raising her eyebrow. They looked to her third finger and stared at the sparking ring.

"Are you married?" the wife asked her, her pudgy fingers twitching, as if they wanted to touch her ring. Matsuri shook her head.

"No, but close. I'm engaged."

"But you're like…fifteen."

"I'm like seventeen for your info," she replied angrily, "and I've been engaged since I was fifteen." The couple's eyes were wide.

"What?!"

"My fiancée and I knew that we loved each other since then, so he proposed. But we decided to wait until we were actually old enough to get married. We knew that if we stayed together until we _actually _got married, we were going to last. And here we are with only three months to go. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get my carry-on bag so I can see my fiancée." The couple waddled out of the way, still a bit in shock.

They wondered how there was _any_ way two people could stay that long together. Knowing they were going to get married, and stay together forever? The couple had many petty fights about stupid things themselves, and it confused them.

Matsuri got her luggage as quickly as she could, hurrying to get out of the plane and into the warm embrace of the man she loved. She was the first one of the line, waiting impatiently for the flight attendant to open up the plane doors. She noticed Matsuri's distress.

"Who are you so anxious to see?" the flight attendant asked kindly.

"My fiancée," Matsuri answered without shame, showing the attendant her ring. The attendant smiled at her.

"You must love each other very much," the attendant said, "to be this eager to see him." Matsuri nodded and smiled.

"We've known each other forever and have always gotten along. His sister is my best friend."

Just then the doors opened and she dashed out, muttering a, "Nice talking to you."

She ran right out into the expecting arms of Gaara. She dropped her luggage and hugged him so tightly, like all the energy they were supposed to have had while she was away, piled into one hug.

She kissed him passionately on the lips, almost forgetting that there were people around her, some staring as if she was insane, and some staring as if they thought it was beautiful.

"Ew, gross! First Temari, now you! Ugh, it's make-out city here!"

Matsuri turned to glare at Kankuro, but then remembered the mental note she had made for herself in the plane, and grinned evilly.

"Temari Sabuku got a _boyfriend_?!" —she gasped jokingly— "I'm shocked!" Temari stuck her tongue out at Matsuri and wrapped her arms around the pineapple head's waist.

"Matsuri," she said. "This is Shikamaru; Shika, this is Matsuri, my best friend. She's the emo panda's fiancée."

"He is _not_ an emo panda!"

"Yes, he is!"

"Even so, he's _my _emo panda, so nyaa!"


	8. Day Eight

(A/N: Thanks for all you that reviewed—I really appreciate it. It makes me feel wonderful that I have people reading this. It isn't as much as I would normally wish for reviews, but it's good enough. I'm sorry that this is so late… I've had lots o' stuff I've needed to do. Like I still need to work on my book and do my homework and update '_Nightfall Academy_'(which I _still_ haven't done yet) and work on my two new story's I'm writing…ya. This chapter is one of my favorite pairings… woo! Happy New Year! And btw, last chapter was two days after Christmas, not three. And the whole 'Uchiha massacre' thing never happened.)

_**(Twelve Days of Christmas)  
(Day Eight: SasuHina)**_

_On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five golden rings! Four calling birds, three French hen, two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree._

"Hinata," Hiashi called to her five-year old daughter, "it's time to go."

"Hai!" she said, waddling over to her father in her new kimono. It was the young heiress's birthday, and she had gotten the kimono as a birthday present. It was a pure white, with a lavender lilac at the left corner of the kimono, near her feet. The obi was a strip of lavender silk, very expensive.

They were headed off to the Uchiha compound for a meeting with Fugaku Uchiha, the leader and head of the Uchiha clan, to arrange a betrothal within Fugaku's youngest son, Sasuke, and Hinata. Well, that's what Hiashi was doing anyway. Hinata thought they were going there for her birthday.

Young Hinata held her father's hand the entire way, taking in all the surroundings of the village around her. She had never been allowed outside the complex before, and all of the villagers were a new sight to her. She smiled the entire way, pointing out all the ninja's around the village that were not of the Hyuuga's.

"Now Hinata," Hiashi said at the doorstep of the Uchiha's gate, "these are very important people to Otou-san."—Hinata noticed how he said 'Otou-san' instead of her normal Tou-chan—"I need you on your best behavior, okay? Act like you did in those lesson with Kinai-sensei. Be my good girl." Hinata smiled and nodded at him; he stood up, not taking her hand again and led the way to the doorstep.

Some of the least elite Uchiha's greeted them as they walked along, and some smiled at Hinata, saying how 'adorable' she was. She smiled at them and thanked them just had Kinai-sensei had told her to act in their etiquette lessons.

She walked up the steps with grace, placing her foots outside the door of the main house, just as she did at home. She didn't need to have etiquette lessons to know that, such a simple custom.

In the main room of the house, Fugaku's family was waiting for them with patience…well, most of them anyway.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, ohisashiburi desu ne, Hiashi," Fugaku greeted the extensive leader of the Hyuuga clan. (Translation: Good morning—formal version—I haven't seen you for a long time.) He looked to Hinata.

"I'm assuming this must be your daughter, Hinata," he said.

Hinata nodded, bowing and saying a brief, "Ohayo gozaimasu, Uchiha-sama," just as her instructor had told her to do. Wisps of her short hair in her face, giving her a sort of innocent look, more so than she already was.

"I'm Mikoto, dear," Mikoto introduced herself to the young heiress, smiling as only a mother could. "You can call me Mikoto-chan." Her obsidian eyes twinkled as Hinata smiled at her and greeted, "Ohayo gozaimasu, Mikoto-chan."

Hiashi thought calling someone 'chan' was pushing it, but in her defense, Mikoto had asked her to call her 'chan,' so she was being polite by calling someone what he or she had wished to be called.

"This is my eldest son and heir, Itachi," Fugaku said, motioning for Itachi to rise.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," Itachi said, bowing slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hiashi-sama, Hinata-san." He smiled, sitting back down on the couch.

"This is my youngest son, Sasuke." Sasuke stood up and bowed as well, greeting them in the same fashion as Itachi had. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Hyuuga-sama, Hinata-san."

"I apologize for my wife's absence," Hiashi said, "but she is very heavily pregnant with our next child, and she did not have the strength to make the trip."

"What is the gender?" Fugaku asked.

"We are not sure, but I am hoping for a boy."

"I want a baby nee-chan," Hinata interjected, smiling. "That way I could have a niisan and a neechan."

"She has a nii?" Fugaku questioned, raising his eyebrow and the little girl.

"No," Hiashi said. "She thinks of my Side Branch nephew as a niisan. He's the only person besides her mother and I that she's been close to. He's my brother's son, so they have always been very close to us."

Fugaku nodded. "I see, well, if you will come with me, we will go over the papers." Hiashi nodded and turned to Hinata, kneeling down.

"Stay out here and out of trouble, alright, Hinata?"

"Hai, Otou-san."

Hiashi stood up and followed Fugaku into his office, as well as Mikoto and Itachi did. As they were still walking, Hinata sat on the couch opposite to Sasuke, stading with a perfectly straight posture. But as soon as the door 'clicked' close, she slouched and sighed.

"You hate having to act polite, too?" Sasuke asked her, slouching himself.

"Hai. I mean, I get that we have to act polite in front of important people and stuff, but why do they have to make us act like it so young? I would get before we entered the academy as well, but still have two more years until that." Hinata pouted crossing her arms.

"My Tou says that 'there is no wrong time to start a child's training,'" Sasuke said, mimicking his father's deep voice, making Hinata giggle slightly.

"That's what my Tou-chan says, too!" Hinata smiled. "He's really hoping my Kaa-chan's new child is a boy, but I know it'll be a girl, because that's what I wished for on my birthday cake today."

The young boy raised his raven eyebrow. "It's your birthday today?"

She nodded, an innocent smile on her face that made him, even at seven, feel like he could stop breathing at any moment.

"Well, happy birthday, Hina-chan," he breathed, and she found herself blushing a light pink.

"Arigato," she thanked him, in a small, childish voice. They were in a blatant silence for a bit of time, before Sasuke asked:

"Would you like a birthday kiss, Hinata-chan?"

She was blushing a bright red.


End file.
